Lewis Ready For First Start

For someone who's known as the best postseason pitcher in Rangers history and as a bulldog who loves to eat up innings, it has to gnaw at the soul of Colby Lewis to know he hasn't set foot on a big-league mound since July 2012, other than a ceremonial first pitch prior to the Rangers' loss to Tampa Bay to end the 2013 season.

Lewis will take the next step back to the big-league mound on Monday when he makes his Cactus League debut after some successful, pain-free throwing sessions in bullpens and intrasquad games. He'll be scheduled to throw two innings against Cleveland and he'll hope to have another pain-free effort as he's trying to work his way back from hip resurfacing surgery โ€” just shy of a hip replacement. He's the first known baseball player to have the surgery.

โ€œI just want to continue down that road and continue to try to stay healthy and try to put myself in a position to win a spot in the rotation,โ€ Lewis told ESPN Dallas.

Lewis' success or lack thereof will play a big factor in the Rangers' success this season. With Derek Holland's injury that will have him out until July at the earliest and Matt Harrison's uncertainty, Lewis would be a big bonus if he could come back as his old self after a year and a half away from the big leagues.

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